Social Studies Composite (grades 7-12), B.A.

Secondary/High School Teacher Certification

All high school degree/certification programs require a minimum of 124 semester hours. Students who complete the requirements for the appropriate degree, fulfill certification requirements, and successfully pass the appropriate state tests will satisfy all requirements for secondary teacher certification in their area of preparation. Additional areas of certification can be found in the Don A. Williams School of Education.

University General Education Core Curriculum - 43 hrs

The University General Education Core Curriculum is applied to all degrees at Wayland Baptist University with the exception of the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.), Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) and the Bachelor of Christian Ministry (B.C.M.) degrees. The full general education core curriculum for these degrees can be found in the degree specific general education core curriculum section.

B.S. degree requires EXSS 1112 and one activity course. Courses that can be used to fulfill this requirement include a statement to that affect in the course description. Students who have served two or more years in the Armed Forces are exempt from EXSS requirements with DD-214 from basic training.

Life science includes Biology and Environmental Science courses. Physical science includes Chemistry, Geology and Physics courses.

The Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) is a minimum 124-semester hour degree. A minimum of 42 semester hours must be upper-level credit (courses numbered 3000 and above). Major and minor fields of study included in the degree also have upper-level requirements. As these may vary depending on the discipline selected, specific requirements are included in the subject field sections of the catalog. Because of the nature of the degree, it includes additional study in the fine arts and in foreign language. In addition to the University Core Curriculum, students must complete the following degree specific general education core requirements for the B.A. degree:

Students may opt to test out of COSC 2311; see course description. Students pursuing music majors should take MUSI 3302. Students pursuing fields in education should take EDIT 2310.

Science can be lab or non-lab for the degree specific core. Students pursuing middle school education are required to take the course with a lab. ENVS 3301 can be used to fulfill the life science degree specific core requirement. GEOG 1301 may be used to fulfill the physical science degree specific core requirement.

Prerequisite of 1401 and/or 1402 (in a single language) may be required and used as electives toward the degree. Placement testing is available; contact the School of Language and Literature for more information.

Fine Arts area must be different from area used in the University Core Curriculum requirement. Requirement waived for students pursuing a Music major.

Academic Major and Minor

The B.A. degree is designed primarily for students desiring to study in the arts, the humanities, or the social sciences. Major fields of study approved for the B.A. degree are listed in the Academic Program Profile table following the degree requirement section of the catalog. In the majority of instances, the major requires the completion of 30 semester hours. Specific semester-hours as well as course requirements are included in that section of the catalog dedicated to the discipline selected.

Students pursuing the B.A. degree must select a minor or second major from any discipline identified by the university as an approved minor or major field. The typical minor consists of 18 semester hours. Specific semester hours as well as course requirements for the majors and minors are included in that section of the catalog dedicated to the discipline selected. A complete list of minors is included in the Academic Program Profile.

Electives

Students may complete the minimum 124 semester hours required for the degree with courses which complement or extend career preparation or pursue subject fields which hold special appeal. However, before using elective semester hours, students should check with their advisor to ensure that the hours are indeed elective and that upper-level semester hour requirements for graduation are being met.

Social Studies Composite (grades 7-12)

Students must pass the state content area social studies (grades 7-12) test prior to clinical teaching. 48 semester hours with *9 hours from the general education core. GEOL 1401 is recommended to meet the physical science requirement in the general education core. Students pursuing social studies certification will sit for the TExES test in history and will be able to challenge the TExES test in economics, government, and geography upon passing both the history and PPR test.

Three hours from upper level non-U.S. history courses:

Professional Education - Secondary/High School Certification and All Level

In addition to the general education core and preparation in the teaching field, all secondary/high school certification programs require a professional education sequence. The professional education sequence provides students with knowledge of the learner, the teaching-learning process, effective teaching and classroom management strategies, and reading in the various content areas. It also provides a structured program of field experiences beginning with class-room observation and ending with clinical teaching.Students must have taken and passed the basic skills test upon completion of EDUC 3301 Principles and Practices in Education and before taking further professional education courses. The following courses constitute the professional education sequence. Students must pass the respective state content test prior to clinical teaching:

Listed is the recommended rotation based on a B.A. degree program. For complete information on the general education and graduation requirements for the B.A. degree program, please refer to the undergraduate programs section of the catalog.

Senior Year Spring Semester - 12 hrs:

General Certification Requirements

In addition to meeting degree requirements, individuals seeking to teach in the elementary, middle school and high schools of the state must meet specific certification requirements. These include passing an approved basic skills test, formal admission to a teacher education program, the satisfactory completion of structured field experiences, satisfactory performance on required subject area and professional competency examinations, compliance with an investigation to determine absence of a criminal history, and completion of a certification application accompanied by the required fee. Information related to these requirements follows:

Admission to Teacher Education

The student expecting to enter a program leading to teacher certification should apply for admission to the teacher education program as part of the course responsibilities for EDUC 2301 or during the first education course. This application should be filed with the School of Education. Requirements for admission to and retention in teacher education include:

Filing a completed application for admission to teacher education. Application for admission to teacher education is available from the education coordinator on each campus. (If denied admission, the student must reapply in order to be considered for admission when the deficiency is resolved.)

A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 for the last sixty hours of academic work attempted.

Satisfactory completion of all basic skill requirements as specified in state administrative code.

English and Math core requirements require a grade of C or better in each course.

Evidence of oral communication proficiency.
Completion of at least 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought:

BSIS middle school, BA middle school: 6 hours from content area teaching field and 6 hours from English, Math, History, or Science with 12 hours total encompassing 3 of the 4 content areas

BA, BM, BS, BBA: 12 hours in content area teaching field

Evidence of freedom from any incapacitating physical or emotional defects.

Recommendation by the Teacher Education Advisory Committee (the committee is composed of faculty members from the various schools offering teacher certification). It is the function of the committee to review the student’s application and determine whether the student is admitted to the teacher education program.

Any conduct not in harmony with that encouraged by University standards (see University Student Handbook) may constitute grounds for dismissal from the teacher education program. State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) is responsible for disciplining educator, applicants for certification, and examinees taking certification exams for conduct indicating unsuitability to teach as well as unethical conduct. WBU and SBEC will enforce the Educator’s Code of Ethics. This code may be reviewed at www.tea.state.tx.us. The Teacher Education Advisory Committee assumes the role of determining whether the behavior is detrimental to performance as a teacher and delineating pertinent details of the alleged misconduct or of the incident. The Teacher Education Advisory Committee shall review the documentation and other pertinent information regarding the alleged misconduct or violation of university policy or Code of Ethics, and determine an appropriate action pertaining to retention, conditional retention, or dismissal from the teacher education program.

Structured Field Experiences

The teacher education field experience program begins in the student’s first professional education course and may include courses within the major. The student’s field experience progressively intensifies and increases the student’s involvement during the senior year and culminates with a full-day clinical teaching experience. Classroom visitation, tutoring, and lesson presentations are included as a scheduled part of teacher education classes. Successful completion of field experience is required for course credit. Below are the courses which include field experiences and the minimum number of hours required:

All teacher certification programs, with the exception of Trade and Industry Certification program, require clinical teaching. Admission to the University’s clinical teaching program is restricted to those students who meet the prerequisite criteria and have been admitted to teacher education and approved by the Teacher Education Advisory Committee for clinical teaching and have passed the respective state content test. As clinical teaching is an all-day, all-semester assignment, it is strongly recommended that the student take this factor into consideration before registering for additional course work during the clinical teaching semester. Clinical teaching must be completed at Wayland unless a written cooperative agreement with another university is on file with the School of Education office.

The application form to clinical teaching may be obtained from the School of Education office or the department of education teacher advisor. Applications must be filed by April 1 of the spring semester prior to the academic year in which the student will be doing clinical teaching. External campuses have established alternative dates and the student needs to check with the education advisor to find out the deadline for applying for clinical teaching. Requirements for admission to clinical teaching include:

Clinical Teaching

The clinical teaching experience is considered the beginning of a student’s professional career, and the student’s energies should be directed in making the most of the professional assignment. During this period of time, the students’ first responsibilities are to the classroom of students they teach in the clinical teaching assignment. As clinical teaching is an all-day, 14 week assignment, it is strongly recommended that students limit outside activities during this time. Outside activities include employment, sports, sororities, fraternities, and cheerleading. Outside responsibilities should not interfere with the apprentice teaching responsibilities. Therefore, outside employment or taking coursework in addition to clinical teaching block are not recommended actions. If students believe employment is a necessity, it should be restricted to weekends if at all possible. A conference with the student’s University Clinical Teaching Supervisor, the Field Experience Coordinator, the education advisor at an external campus, or the Dean of the School of Education will determine the best options for the student who must maintain employment. In the event that additional coursework is required to finish a degree, anything beyond one additional course plus the clinical teaching block will require review by the Teacher Education Advisory Committee to determine if the student should consider clinical teaching during another semester.

Enrollment for clinical teaching semester will occur at the campus from which you were admitted to teacher education. Placement recommendation for clinical teaching is a function of the local campus teacher education advisory committee, and any assignment greater than fifty miles from your home campus may have an additional student fee attached. Clinical teaching must be completed under the supervision of a Wayland Baptist University Supervisor at a Wayland Baptist University campus unless a written cooperative agreement with another university has been approved by the Dean of the School of Education and the agreement is on file in the School of Education office.

Clinical teachers are guests in the schools in which they teach and serve. Clinical teachers must meet all regulations established by the principal, school administration, and school district. The clinical teaching assignment is made with much care and attention to many factors. Adjustments in assignments are not made after the clinical teaching experience begins except for unusual circumstances.

Occasionally, some incompatibility may arise, thus interfering with the success of the clinical teaching experience. If this should occur, you are to notify your University Supervisor at once. Requirements for advancement to clinical teaching are to be submitted no later than 2 terms prior to clinical teaching, and only in extreme circumstances will students be concurrently admitted to teacher education and clinical teaching. Clinical teaching requirements include:

Filing a completed application for admission to Clinical Teaching. Applications for admission are available from the School of Education or the Education advisor on each campus. (If denied admission to clinical teaching, the student may reapply when the deficiency is corrected, and the student is required to submit documentation of deficiency removal and initiate a new application for clinical teaching.)

Updated certification (degree) plan on file in the School of Education office

Minimum overall GPA of 2.7 for last 60 hours of academic work attempted

2.7 minimum GPA on professional education courses with no grade below C

Completion at WBU of a minimum of nine semester hours of required professional education courses at the student’s level of certification.

2.7 GPA in student’s teaching field(s) with no grade below C (completion of all prerequisites for clinical teaching) or a passing score on a state approved and administered content area exam.

Student must have passed the state approved content test prior to the assignment of the clinical teaching experience.

Completion of a criminal background check

Recommendation by the Teacher Education Advisory Committee (TEAC)

Advancement to Clinical Teaching

A student prior to clinical teaching must pass the state’s content test in the area which certification is sought.

Degree plan on file in the School of Education office.

A minimum GPA of 2.7 on last 60 hours of college work attempted.

Completion of the general education core.

A minimum GPA of 2.7 on all courses in the professional education sequence with no grade below C. Completion at Wayland of a minimum of nine semester hours of required professional education courses at the student’s level of certification.

A minimum GPA of 2.7 on all college work taken in the student’s teaching field with no grade below C. Completion of the requirements for the student’s teaching field including any courses specified as prerequisites for clinical teaching.

Completion of a criminal background check.

Recommendation by the Teacher Education Advisory Committee (TEAC) which is composed of faculty members from the various schools offering teacher certification. It is the function of the TEAC to review the student’s application and determine whether the student is advanced to the clinical teaching phase.

Enrollment for clinical teaching semester will be from the campus from which you were admitted to teacher education and earned senior status (90 semester hours).

Placement recommendation for clinical teaching is a function of the local campus teacher education committee and any assignment greater than fifty (50) miles from your home campus may have an additional student fee attached.

Recommendation for Teacher Certification/License

The State, not the university, certifies an individual to teach. The university makes the recommendation that students take the state certification tests. To receive recommendation from the university to take the certification tests, students must maintain all requirements for the teacher education program and clinical teaching program through the degree. Certification is not automatic with the completion of an approved program of study and requires the recommendation of the teacher education advisory committee (TEAC). Upon completion of the required program of study and passing the appropriate state licensure test, a student may apply for certification through the state certification entity. Students should make application for the appropriate certificate during the last semester in which they complete all requirements for a certificate. The application and required fee is to be sent to the state certification entity which has authority for the issuance of certificates/licenses. Every applicant must be investigated for a record of a felony or misdemeanor conviction. As well, the student must submit fingerprints as a part of the background investigation. Students who have completed the teacher education program and have not met the state license standard the year following the completion of the program may be required to do additional work or review to obtain permission to take the state test.

Accountability

The Texas State Board for Educator Certification has assigned Wayland Baptist University teacher preparation program a rating of “Accredited” under the Accountability System for Educators Preparation Programs. Educator preparation programs are held accountable for the performance of teacher candidates on the statewide certification tests. Programs must achieve a minimum pass rate on the test by disaggregated subgroups to receive a rate of “Accredited.”

According to the most recent federal Title II report, students who completed Wayland Baptist University teacher preparation program earned a summary pass rate of 99 percent for the assessment year Sept. 1, 2013, to Aug. 31, 2014. Professional knowledge pass rate was 97 percent. Content field pass rate was 99 percent. Wayland was in the first quartile for basic skills pass rate, first quartile for professional knowledge and second quartile for academic content.